Stuck In Development

This week is a (space) jam-packed news episode. Carl and Eitan start by discussing the reportedly loathsome Space Jam: A New Legacy and the Carl-approved Pig . They also scoff at various industry reports blaming Disney Premier Access for Black Widow ’s box office downturn. After news of Netflix’s impending foray into video games leave them nonplussed, they end the episode by reacting to an excelle...

Once again, the future of entertainment seems to be riding on Disney (*sigh*). Black Widow marks the first time a major studio has simultaneously released digital and theatrical numbers, and Eitan and Carl spend most of this episode parsing how successful the film actually was. These numbers also give them a chance to check in on the state of the MCU. In brief news this week, the two follow up on...

Every media company is a different beast. Any given company can have a streaming service, an ISP, theme parks, hardware sales or free 2-day shipping to buoy their revenues. Despite this diverse set of revenues, one common measure used to compare the success of SVOD services is ARPU (average revenue per user). This week, Eitan leads Carl in a discussion of why ARPU is largely meaningless. They also...

For data nerds like Eitan and Carl, Hollywood used to be a candy store. Decades of stats around productions, contracts and box office receipts were readily available, allowing them to slice and dice the successes and failures of decades past. This data still exists publicly – allowing the two to talk about the returns of In the Heights, F9 and Luca in the news – but it’s rapidly becoming hard...

Carl and Eitan are back after a pesky honeymoon got in the way of recording last week’s episode. They catch up on Carl’s wedding, debate the merit of some gossip around Jason Kilar’s future at WarnerMedia , unpack In the Heights ’ mediocre box office performance, and revel in the last gasps of the Great MoviePass Grift. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram @stuckindevpod

The boys couldn’t fight the urge to record, even during Carl’s wedding week. During this fast and furious episode (no pun intended given that Carl hasn’t seen the movies), Eitan and Carl check in on Cruella and The Quiet Place II box office drop-off after a strong first weekend, talk ViacomCBS following a long-standing tradition of creative Hollywood accounting, gasp at AMC’s latest Reddit-driven...

The long-rumored MGM acquisition is finally happening, so Eitan and Carl can finally tear into the strategy and analyze what it means for Amazon’s Prime Video, IMDb TV, and Studios teams. The two dig into the corporate strategies and philosophies of Amazon, the eroding value of Prime membership, and a ridiculously high $8.45B price tag that doesn’t even yield majority ownership of the Bond franchi...

Carl and Eitan are unstuck in time. They decided to do a 2021 Movies Preview… in late May. A late Oscars ceremony coupled with a pandemic can really mess with your perception of time! This week, the two share their personal lists of the top 5 films they are most excited to see in the back half of this year. In a busy news week, they chat about the then-rumored Amazon acquisition of MGM; share some...

Every once in a while, a story comes along that stops you in your tracks. For Eitan and Carl, this weekend was absolutely consumed by the announcement that AT&T would spin out WarnerMedia into a new venture with Discovery. This is Stuck In Development ’s Big Game and its raison d'être. Join the two as they take an exhaustive look at the merger and its implications on the future of AT&T and...

Step into the Stuck In Development multiverse! This week, Carl and Eitan spent equal time dissecting a framework for modern entertainment companies and discussing the tumultuous future of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (the Golden Globes’ awarding body). For the former subject, they return to last week’s AUA to discuss the love that modern studios try to manufacture for their content; for...

Eitan and reforming Apple fanboy Carl dive into a few topics this week. They use the Epic v. Apple opening arguments as a springboard for broader discussions about software distribution antitrust and data protection policy. The two also chat about HBO Max’s pricing strategy and offer effusive praise for Phil Lord and Christopher Miller (and a Netflix “Original”). There is no main topic this week....

In his followup to last year’s excellent Let Them All Talk, producer Steven Soderbergh attempted to create a modern, COVID-safe Oscars ceremony. While Carl and Eitan mostly appreciated this year’s changes, they spend this episode debating one question: what is the point of Hollywood’s biggest night when nobody is watching? In news this week, the two discuss the NHL’s new streaming deal, Sony’s pos...

Grab your vaccine passport and join Eitan and Carl on an unusually chaotic tour through the world of entertainment. In an episode recorded during the brief wondrous life of the European Super League, the two popcorn through a variety of topics: an apathy-inspiring Oscars race; rumblings of stagnation at Netflix; Sony’s blockbuster-based gaming IP strategy and the Sony-Netflix deal’s impact on Star...

With an announcement last week, Sony cemented their position as an “arms dealer” within Hollywood. Though both Carl and Eitan bristle at this description, the deal does establish Sony as a content free agent in a Hollywood increasingly focused on DTC streaming. Eitan and Carl debate the merits of Sony’s decision to shed itself of all DTC platforms and become a company focused on development and pr...

Will someone at Warner please remember that the Iron Giant is not a gun? Eitan and Carl stare into the endless abyss of Space Jam: A New Legacy’s Warner 3000 Entertainment Server-verse and try to discern the factors that drove Warner to make such a thing. The Space Jam sequel is just the latest in a bizarre genre that Carl calls “Oops! All IP!” films. In these films, iconic characters and imagery...

Despite repeated threats, Carl and Eitan decided to make this episode about more than just Disney World transit systems. As Eitan wraps up a month living and working remotely from Orlando, they check in on the Walt Disney World Resort in the time of COVID-19. They chat about everything from the 5-hour virtual queue at a cookie bakery to Eitan’s assessment of the cultural accuracy of Epcot’s Mexico...

Much like the return of Darkseid to Earth, the #SnyderCut episode of Stuck in Development was inevitable. Eitan and Carl dive into the torturous history of the DC Extended Universe and chart its evolution against that of the modern superhero-industrial complex. They discuss the hubristic mediocrity of Zack Snyder’s Justice League and what it means for the future of franchises and fan engagement. C...

Kevin Sachs returns to guide Eitan and Carl through the strange, muted 2020 Oscars race. After walking through the nomination and voting process, the three present their predictions, dreams and snubs for most of the awards. Join them as they gush about Minari , throw shade at Soul and bemoan the lack of Borat in the Best Picture race. In news this week, Carl, Eitan and Kevin have a nifty and bemus...

Carl and Helios & Matheson shareholder Eitan welcome guest Alex Pellegrino to retrace the glorious rise and fall of MoviePass. In their attempt to growth hack their way to Hollywood dominance, MoviePass gave away millions of movie tickets before becoming a user-hostile laughing stock. Alex, Eitan and Carl take this chance to fondly remember the lengths they would go to get free tickets through...

As the 2020 awards season and the streaming wars heat back up, Eitan and Carl spend an episode catching up with some major news items. First, they take a look at the Golden Globes and what they mean for this year’s Oscar race. They next check-in with the launch of Paramount+ before reviewing HBO Max’s Q4 results (spoilers: this sparks yet another debate around Wonder Woman 1984’s profitability). F...

On Disney California Adventure’s 20th anniversary, Eitan and Carl chauffeur you to the park’s grand opening. This park represented the culmination of a decade of disaster for Disney’s theme parks. Nothing exemplifies DCA's early, dark days more than one garish, dark ride: Superstar Limo. Carl and Eitan use this attraction as a case study to explore the tradeoff between artistic dreams and limited...

Due to internet and power disruptions caused by winter weather, Carl and Eitan are taking an unexpected break this week. They'll be back next week with an episode celebrating Disney California Adventure's 20th anniversary through the prism of its infamously terrible opening day attraction: Superstar Limo. Follow us on Twitter @stuckindevpod Music/FX: Feather Duster by Silverman Sound Studios – htt...

Movies! Stars! Bad corporate activations! Specific and annoying logistical challenges! In a normal year, the Sundance Film Festival has everything Carl, Eitan and guest Christina Troitino could ever want. Sundance is the first big event of every film year, and even a pandemic couldn’t stop the festival from dominating the cultural conversation. The three recap the 2021 festival while also providin...

Last fall, Eitan and Carl set out on a quest to understand the muted reaction to The Rise of Skywalker and the Galaxy’s Edge lands at Disneyland and Disney World. Along the way, this quest became about uncovering the very soul of modern Hollywood. In the final episode of their miniseries on Disney’s Star Wars films, Carl and Eitan discuss the merits of Episode XI and Galaxy’s Edge. From reviewing...

Carl and Eitan take a tour of Night City with guest Pete Sampson. Pete talks them through the development and disastrous launch of Cyberpunk 2077. On one hand, the game is a case study in mismanaging hype, developers, and distribution channels. On the other, it’s a surreal, glitchy mess that is magnificent to behold. In news this week, Eitan, Carl, and Pete debate the merits of postponing 2020 fil...